SC verdict may hit U’khand hard

DEHRADUN: The Supreme Court’s recent judgment that death of a government employee doesn’t entitle his or her kin for a job is likely to hit around 40,000 people in Uttarakhand. The verdict has evoked sharp reactions from government employees across the state. “There are around two lakh government employees in the state. Of that, close to 40,000 are kin of dead employees. It would be very unfortunate if the provision of recruiting the kin is quashed. It is the only means for so many people to land a government job,” said Prahlad Singh, president of State Employees’ Joint Council.

In its judgment, the apex court said that mere death of a government employee in harness does not entitle his or her family member to claim employment on compassionate grounds.

Singh added that the state government already has a provision to consider the financial condition of the family in case of recruiting dependents of the deceased. “The Heir Succession Certificate is made in the court of the district judge only after assessing the financial condition of a family.”

With very few job opportunities in the state, people mostly aspire to get government jobs.

Recently, the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation had announced that it would provide jobs to the dependents of its employees who died during service.

Retired IAS officer SS Pangti said a huge number of employees in government jobs were inducted because they were dependents of people who died during service. “There is a government order that says that employment must be provided to the dependents of the deceased on compassionate grounds. Under this, a candidate is provided a class 3 or class 4 job in the non-technical grade.”

He added that there have been rumours of misuse of this clause as some parents allegedly dilly dallied on their treatment to secure a job for their children after they die. He, however, said the apex court order clearly said that the financial condition of the family should be assessed, which is a welcome step.

But not everyone agrees with the retired IAS officer. Navendu Mathpal, divisional secretary of Government Teachers’ Association (Kumaon), argued that job benefit should be given to the dependents of the deceased at any cost. "The government order in Uttarakhand already says that the financial conditions of the family of the deceased employee should be assessed before providing employment. What remains to be seen is the effect the SC order will have on recruitments in near future," Mathpal added.